State Department of Transportation officials announced Thursday overnight ramp and lane closures will begin this week on Route 440 to Route 9/Garden State Parkway.

The closures come as the Route 440 bridges over Route 9/Garden State Parkway project advances in Woodbridge.

Beginning at 11 p.m. Thursday until 6 a.m. the next day, and again overnight Friday and Saturday until the next morning, NJDOT’s contractor, Ritacco Construction, Inc., will close the Route 440 northbound ramp to Route 9/GSP northbound for bridge work. The following detour will be in place each night.

Route 440 northbound to Route 9/Garden State Parkway northbound Detour (From 11 p.m. to 6 a.m. the next day on Thursday, June 14, Friday, June 15 and Saturday, June 16):

Motorists on Route 440 northbound will be directed to take the Smith Street exit

Stay left at the fork to continue on CR656/Smith Street

Continue on Smith Street under the overpasses and bear right for the Route 9 northbound/Route 440 northbound exit

Stay left to continue on Route 9 northbound

Keep left on Route 9 northbound for the Garden State Parkway northbound exit

In addition to the ramp closures this week, NJDOT’s contractor is scheduled later this month to close lanes on Route 440 to shift southbound traffic to the right onto the newly constructed Route 440 northbound bridge, according to a news release.

Construction barriers will be moved and the highway restriped to establish a temporary work zone on the left side of the bridge for the next stage in the bridge replacement project. At least one lane in each direction will be maintained during the overnight traffic shift. Once the new traffic pattern is in place, two lanes of traffic in each direction will be maintained.

The seven dogs – the last group of canine “graduates” – that have completed the ASPCA Behavioral Rehabilitation program for adoption with rescue groups and shelters in New Jersey and New York. ~Courtesy of ASPCA

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The $14 million federally-funded Route 440 Bridges over Route 9/Garden State Parkway project, which started construction in May 2017, will replace the five-span bridge deck, approach slabs, guiderails, parapets, bridge bearings and repair the substructure. The bridge replacement project is being accomplished in stages and is expected to be completed in early 2019.

Construction signage will be utilized to direct motorists on all traffic pattern changes associated with this bridge deck replacement work.

The precise timing of the work is subject to change due to weather or other factors. Motorists are encouraged to check NJDOT's traffic information website www.511nj.org for real-time travel information and for NJDOT news, follow the agency on Twitter @NJDOT_info or on the NJDOT Facebook page.